Front and four wheel drive



h p W- .7

19% 41, N NmQUAh v 1,476,413

FRONT AND FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE' Filed Aug. 11(19i9 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 4, 1923 7 mmmas N. NQRQUAL FRONT AND FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE Filed Aug. ll, 1919' v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ca u EELS HOHQUAL, OF FLORA, NORTH DAKOTA.

AND FOUR 'Wl-IEEL DRIVE.

Application filed August 11, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Nuns lionocsn, a subject of the King of Norway huving declared my intentionsot becoming a citizen of the United States, residing at Flora, Benson County, State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Front and Four Wheel Drives of whichthe following is a specification.

lhis invention relates to a driving mechanism for turning the wheels of a vehicle, such as an automobile, and is particularly directed to a driving n'icchanism for the front wheels of such a vehicle. It; is recognized that considerable advantage accrues from. drivin of four wheels as a greater tractive etiort is secured when operating on soft. or slippery roads and the front wheel drive is olten desirable when making turns.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide such a four wheel drive for Li vehicle with differential mechanism for each set of wheels.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a driving mechanism for the vehicle without disturbing the drive to the rear wheels or eliminating any of the advantages of the rear wheel drive and without any change in the location of the motor, front axle or rear diilercntial housing being: necessary. is still another object of the invent n to provide a drive for the rear Wheels ope ating through a diilerentiol from the transmission shaft, which driv ing mechanism will be automatically disconnected temporarily when the transmission shaft is reversed. I

It, is still another object of the invention to provide such a driving device which is of simple construction and may he attached to a rear wheel driven vehicle millili'iggf the same a founwheel driven vehicle. which nttachment can he inade at small cost and with comparatively little eli'ort.

These und other ohiccls and ndvautagi'ts .of the invention will he lull set, forth in the following description Inadc in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters eterto the sumo parts'throughout the dii ent views, end in which i is e, view c 0 motor driven. vehicle GilTlQOCZj/ll L. e inverts ties;

Serial 1%. 316,824

lfig. 2 a horizontal section through the dillerential casing used with the i'ront wheel drive; n V

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation showing a portion of the driving mechanism; and

Fig. l is a vertical section through tht wheel of the front axle and driving mechanism therefor.

,llcferring to the drawings, the vehicle is cquipped'wilh the usual motor 7 to which is connected the transmission enclosed inthe casing" 11 from which a driving shaft 8 extends reurivn'rdly to the usual differential housing -l-l, through which the rear wheels 13 are driven in the usual manner. A differential housin 1.0 is provided secured to the housing 11 at its front end and having a flange at its rear end. which is bolted to the flange of the housing 9 for the transmission shaft, which latter housing is bolted at its rear end. to the rear transmission casing 4-1. The shaft 8 passes through the upper portion of the housing 10 and has slidably mounted thereon in said housing a spiral pinion or worm gear 12. This gear 12 isformed utits ends with heads from which project; spaced spiral clutch teeth 42, the teeth on the respective heads at the end of said projecting in opposite directions. The shaft 8 has rigidly secured thereto in spaced relation to the ends it gear 12, collars l-l, the inner or facing ends of which are also provided with spiral clutch or ratchet teeth'corrcspoiuling, respectively to the teeth-on the heads 4'2 of the gear 12: The gear 12 is arranged in'nicsh with a worm wheel gear 33 oi? annular shape said gear having fitted therein a ring 3st holding in place a spider :15 carried by said gear on "which spider urn disposed a pluralityof oinions l shown as three in number. pinions' ill mesh with hovel gears eil erried on shafts 37 the ends of which are jour' nalcd in auxiliary housing sections; disposed at each side and lioltcd to th, houslllhc gears lul'c termed with gears nil on their oppi'ieite incest which latter hears 1 irrai'u ed to ru h with beveled {gears 38 shuit (intending A P un the ieir res ends ll oy inc-ans outside of sci ill of unive noted that idle - the collars 14 has its teeth 31 or 32 engaging with one of the sets of the teeth on heads 42. The gear it? is provided with an annu- -lar groove at one end adjacent one of the heads 42 adapted to be engaged by the usual clutch fork, not shown, operated by a lever, not shown, disposed in position for convenient operation by the driver of the vehicle.

The shafts (i extend forwardly to the front axle 2 and are journaled at the front end in casing 29 bolted to said axle. The ends of axle 2 are bifurcated to provide spaced arms 15 having rabbetted ends provided with vertically alincd openings adapted .to receive a knuckle bolt 16. A steering knuckle 18 also ha s its ends rabbetted or offset to interengage with the ends of the arms 15 and said ends are also provided with alined openings through which the bolt 16 passes to pivotally connect said knuckle to the end of the axle. A beveled gear 24 has another beveled gear 23 formed on its opposite face and is journaled on the bolt 16. A pinion 26 secured to the end of shaft 6 meshes with the gear 24 and the gear 23, in' turn, meshes with a beveled gear 25 secured to the end of a shaft or spindle 19, which spindle is adapted to drive the front wheel 3. It will be noted that the hub of the wheel 3 is mounted on the knuckle 18. The wheel'3 and spindle 19- thus swing about the axis of bolt 16. permitting the usual turning of the wheels. end of axle 2 and knuckle 10 are enclosedby casings 27 and 28, the latter being connected to the knuckle 18 and mounted to move relatively to the casing 27, which latter is provided with a flange 30 forming a shoulder on which casing 28 rotates.-

In operation, .when the motor is'running to drive the vehicle in a forward direction, the shaft 8 will be turned and the rear wheels driven to move the vehicle. The gear 33 will also be turned by the front wheels, the latter being turned by the movement of the vehicle. Said gear 12 will be moq 'ed longitudinally on the shaft 8 by the resistance of the gear and the teeth on one of the heads 40 will come into engagement with the teeth on one of the collars 14, namely, the teeth 31, and owing to the end thrust on the gear 12 and the formation of the teeth, the said collar and gear will be connected for engagement. As soon as the gear moves into engagement with said collar the .gear 33 will be driven and power will be transn'iilled through lhe differential formed by the pinious 43 and gears 44 and the shafts Q2 and a turning movement transmitted to the frontwhcels. The power for driving the front wheels is thus taken off the transmission shaft and will in no way affect the Thegears in the.

rear wheels which will be driven through the usual differential gears in the housing 41.

\Vhen the shaft 8 is reversed through the transmission gearing the thrust of the wheel 12 against the gear 33 will move the gear 12 longitudinally and it will move out of engagenu-nt with the teeth 31. and travel endwise until it engages with the teeth when it will once again be driven by shaft 8 and held in engagement with said teeth and will again transmit turning movement to the front wheels. The spiral teeth on gear 12 and collars 1 will readily be disengaged by the thrust of gear By this action it is scenthat the drive to the front wheels is automatically disconnected or discontinued momentarily whenever the transmission shaft Sislreverscd, This is a very desirable feature in such a motor driven vehicle.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a very simple and ellicient structure of front wheel drive and driving of the one that can be readily applied to practi-.

and arrangement of the parts without departing from thescope of applicants invention, which. generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: V

l. A drivin mechanism for the front wheels of a vehicle having also a rear wheel drive comp-rising, a transmission shaft ea:- lending fronrthe transmission case to the driving mechanism for the rear wheel, a worm gear slidable on. said shaft at an intermediate point, a worm driven differential gear mechanism operated by said worm gear and connected to driving means for the front wheels, means spaced at each end of said worm gear secured to said transmission shaft adapted to be engaged with either end of said worm gear whereby, upon movement of said shaft in opposite directions, said worm will he moved out of engagement with one of said means and into engagement with the other.

2. A wheel driving mechanlsm for a motor driven vehicle comprising, a trans mission shaft adapted to be connected to and drive the rear wheels, driving means slidablc on said shaft, a differential gear mechanism driven by said means and corn ncctcd to drive the front wheels, and means secured to said transmission shaft at each end of said driving means and adapted to be clutched thereto, Saiddriving means being constructed and arranged to be moved ends-vise by rotsiion of said irsnsmission shaft to bring the same info sngagcmeni with one of ssid iss mentioned means, wherein when said transmission shaft is revcrssd, said driving means will move into engagement with the other of said last mom tioncd means.

3. A driving mechanism for a motor driven vehicle comprising, front and res? Wheels having in combination, driving mechanism for said front wheels, s fiifi61jtisi mechanism. connected thereto, a tramsmission shzi'fi, and means on said trsnsm1ssion shaft for driving said differential mechanism and for automatically and momenmiiiy (iisconnecving the same from said shn'it when said shaft is reversed.

4. The struciure set forth in claim 8, sad means comprising members secured is said shaft having ratchet teeth thereon and :1 member siiclsblc on said shaft 11s ving rstcliet icstli. adopted, sitcrnstciy, to with said members.

5. A iii'iving mechanism for s ions-wheeled which having the rear wheels driven comprising, s transmission shaft, s. Worm gear slidablc ihereon, oppositely disposed ciutcii teeth she ends of said worm gear, member SECUZQG. to ssicl shah; at each and. of said worm and spaced therefrom also provided with clutch teeth adapted. to be engaged by Lhe teeth on said Worm, s differential mechanism driven by s Worm wheel gear in miss with said Worm, and. driving connsctions to the front wheels connected to said diiierenizisi mechanism,

(i. A driving mechanism "for 'ii motor driven vehicle having front and f om Wiiesis comprising; a transmission siisii, extending to and driving the rear Wi'iESlS, cirivin gears for the front wiiecis, shafts sonnscteci to said driving and extending rem-- .vardly, a differential mechanism is which said shafts are connected and by which they are (iziv-sn, and means on said transmission shaft for driving said (iificij'cntiai msciisnism consin'uctcd and arranged 1'30 be auto;

mst-icsiiv disconnected momentarily when said transmission shaft is reversed.

. NELS NURQUAL.

Witnesses:

ii. J. GAU1$ER, Gnu. D. SUND. 

